ALARMING REPORT CARD: US test scores hit new low in math and reading post-COVID

1

From the New York Post: Sobering national test results show more high school seniors are struggling with math and reading than at any point in recent decades, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon calling out a “devastating trend” Tuesday.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) — commonly referred to as The Nation’s Report Card — showed just 35% of high school seniors were proficient in reading, the lowest score since the assessment began in 1992.

The math score for 12th-graders was even worse, with just 22% achieving proficiency, the lowest point since the current test began in 2005.

“American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” McMahon said in response to the scores, which were extracted from tests administered to thousands of students in early 2024.

IMPORTANT HIGHLIGHTS from the report:

  • The average score on the 12th-grade math and reading assessments dropped three points from 2019.
  • Among fourth-graders, the average math score was also three points lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic, while eight-graders saw their average decline eight points from five years earlier.
  • Average scores on the fourth and eighth-grade reading exam dropped by five points between 2019 and 2024.

Sounding the alarm, McMahon posted a video statement on X, and wrote, “Today’s @NAEP_NCES 12th grade math and reading and 8th grade science scores confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows. Nearly HALF of America’s high school seniors are testing at below basic levels in math and reading. The status quo is failing our students.”

WATCH BELOW:

In another post on X, McMahon wrote, “Despite billions in federal spending and countless well-intentioned programs, the achievement gap between students is widening, not shrinking. The lesson is clear. Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested.”

Below is a video report on the Grade 8 Science Results:

The following video is a report on Grade 12 Mathematics and Reading Results:

READ MORE from the New York Post.

A press release on the White House website reads as follows:

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress — a nationwide test administered in 2024 — underscores what President Donald J. Trump has been saying all along: on education, we can, and must, be better.

These results released today from the 2024 assessments were devastating:

  • Just 31% of eighth grade students are proficient in science.
  • Just 22% of high school seniors are proficient in math — the lowest score since the current assessment began.
  • Just 35% of high school seniors are proficient in reading — the lowest score on record.

Since 1979, the U.S. Department of Education has spent over $3 trillion and per-pupil spending has increased by more than 245% — with nothing to show for it. Standardized test scores have remained flat for decades and U.S. students rank near the bottom compared to other developed nations in critical subjects like math.

Why would we keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result?

That’s why the Trump Administration is challenging the status quo that has failed our students for decades. Instead of a bloated federal system, the Trump Administration is moving forward with a bold plan to return education back to the individual states — which are best equipped to meet the needs of their students — and providing every available opportunity for parents to enrich the education of their children through individual choice.

Follow us on X (Formerly Twitter.)
The DML News App: www.X.com/DMLNewsApp

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

CLICK HERE FOR COMMENTS SECTION